1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved machine making it possible to carry out treatment of yarn continuously, and particularly a machine making it possible to twist, then to texturize, particularly by false twisting, and finally to wind the yarn thus treated onto a suitable support.
2. Related Art
It is concerned more particularly with an improved installation making it possible to conduct the process described in French Patent No. 1,190,668.
In general terms, textile machines making it possible to conduct the process which is the subject of the abovementioned patent consist of a plurality of identical work stations arranged on either side of a central supporting stand. Each work station comprises from the bottom upwards:
a single-twist or double-twist spindle supporting a package of yarn; PA0 means for feeding the yarn; PA0 a thermal treatment oven which is arranged in the extension of the axis of the double-twist spindle and downstream of which is arranged a false-twist spindle; PA0 means for feeding the yarn at the exit of the double-twist spindle; PA0 and finally, means for winding said treated yarn. PA0 a double-twist spindle supporting a package of yarn intended to be treated; PA0 means which make it possible to subject the twisted yarn leaving the double-twist spindle to a texturing treatment, particularly by false twist, and which comprise, arranged in such a way that the path of the yarn is kept substantially rectilinear, in this false-twist zone, means for feeding the twisted yarn, a thermal treatment member followed by a cooling zone and by the actual false-twist spindle, and a system for feeding the yarn at the exit of the texturing treatment zone; PA0 means for winding the treated yarn. PA0 the false-twist texturing treatment means is arranged in the central part of the stand of the machine, and the means for feeding the yarn which this treatment zone comprises consists of delivery devices of the positive type; PA0 the double-twist spindle and the winding assembly are arranged one above the other and are offset relative to this central zone; and PA0 A the guidance of the yarn at the exit of the double-twist spindle, in order to convey it into the texturing treatment zone, and at the exit of said texturing zone, in order to convey it to the winding members, is obtained by means of an assembly comprising, for each work station, a pair of yarn guides supported at the same level on the stand of the machine substantially at midheight of the latter, one arranged in the axis of passage of the double-twist spindle and the other being offset outwards and arranged substantially level with the outer surface of the volume generated by the balloon of yarn of the double-twist spindle.
Such an installation is technically satisfactory, its only disadvantage being that, as is well known, when treatment speeds are to be increased, the length of the thermal treatment oven and the cooling space between the oven and the false-twist spindle must be increased. Consequently, the installation has a very large overall height in view of the essentially aligned arrangement of the various treatment members.
Moreover, it is well known, as emerges from French Patent No. 2,565,261 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,195), that, when the winding of a yarn is carried out by means of a constant-speed reeling device having a movable yarn guide distributing the coils over the length of the reel, it is preferable to have a very large distance between, on the one hand, the last guide point for the yarn, located substantially in the transverse plane passing through the middle of the stroke of the movable yarn guide and, on the other hand, on the guide point itself.
Consequently, all the proposals made hitherto to solve the above-mentioned problems of an increase in speed, whilst having a highly compact machine, result, as emerges particularly from European Patent 155,240, in assemblies which have highly complex yarn paths and which, above all, do not make it possible to preserve the alignment of the various members of the false-twist zone, this alignment being one of the operating conditions for obtaining a yarn of good quality.
Now there has been found, this being the subject of the present invention, an improved machine which makes it possible to preserve the advantages of machines having a structure similar to that which is the subject of French Patent 1,190,668. Moreover, the present invention not only makes it possible to increase the treatment speeds and to have a large distance between the last guide point of the yarn at the exit of the treatment assembly and the winding system, but also, without special conversion or adaptation, allows the use of a thermal treatment member (oven) necessary for the false-twist operation in order to carry out an additional thermal treatment, for example a preliminary treatment for setting the yarn twisted by the double-twist spindle, this taking place before the actual false-twist treatment is carried out.
In general terms, the machine according to the invention is of the type comprising a central stand supporting a plurality of work stations arranged on either side of the central axis of said stand, each station comprising:
The machine according to the invention is characterised in that:
Advantageously and in practice, according to a preferred embodiment of a machine according to the invention, the guide elements for the yarn are mounted on a support which is vertically adjustable in relation to the stand of the machine. Moreover, such guide means can be designed to serve as break detectors. Furthermore, an additional return element for the yarn is advantageously provided in the region of the upper part of the thermal treatment member (oven) of the false-twist zone, thus making it possible to subject the twisted yarn leaving the double-twist spindle to a preliminary thermal treatment, before it undergoes the actual false-twist treatment.